Q. Our retirement plan financial adviser told us that new federal rules require him to provide us with information about our 401(k) plan investment fees and expenses. He also told us that we have to provide a new disclosure document…
There is a story about President Reagan in his final years, when he took a miniature White House out of a fish tank, and held it tightly. When his wife, Nancy, asked him what he had, he replied that he…
Positive energy you create helps you move more easily through difficult and challenging times and will do the same for those you encounter. How you approach problems and opportunities will ultimately determine how your employees view the obstacles that are…
There is an amazing online social network platform that illustrates the full spectrum of human intelligence, from brilliance to idiocy, and it's called Twitter.I'll focus on the brilliance side in this article. However, it's worth noting that the most inane…
In the fall of 2008, just as Lehman Brothers closed its doors, we hosted a gathering of our clients. I led off the meeting in my broken Chinese with the saying, "May you live in interesting times." It seemed to…
In his State of the State address, and at the reprise of it at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce's recent breakfast forum, four-term Gov. John Lynch highlighted the reputation of New Hampshire as the best state in which to…
Electronically stored data has become a key and increasingly critical economic commodity. Not surprisingly, the concentration of electronic information has produced a concomitant increase in the theft and misuse of data. To quote Willie Sutton, it's "where the money is."Most…
A recent review of New Hampshire Department of Labor wage claim decisions reveals the ongoing compliance struggles that employers doing business in New Hampshire are having.Ignorance of the lawMost employers do not intentionally try to circumvent state wage laws to…
The last year was difficult for many. While the stock markets were up about 5 percent, it was a bumpy ride. Other markets, such as commercial real estate, were not so volatile. In fact, they continue to be somewhat lethargic.Now…
In his State of the Union address in January, President Obama emphasized the importance of American innovation - especially in creating an American energy economy that is built to last.At USDA, we are working every day to fuel renewable energy…
Small-business owners have often learned the hard way that not knowing the law is not an acceptable excuse for noncompliance. You are expected to follow the law and the associated rules and regulations, or you will suffer the consequences of…
Though recent news has been positive, New Hampshire continues to face serious economic challenges 2 1/2 years into its recovery from the Great Recession. Employment has been rising over the past few months, but New Hampshire still needs to add…
If you were to apply today to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services for an environmental permit, it's likely that it would be processed in a short period of time, and more quickly than if you applied for a…
Last year was one of extraordinary achievements for this Legislature. We committed to voters to live within our means and balance our budget without raising taxes and did an uncommon thing for elected officials, and in 2011 we kept our…
The 2012 forecast for New Hampshire commercial real estate expects continued improvement in demand for quality industrial, retail and multifamily properties, with demand for office properties remaining sluggish.The current commercial construction activity throughout the state is a sign that, yet…
Cathy Conway Vice President, Northern Community Investment Corp.Cathy Conway was pursuing an engineering degree at the University of New Hampshire when she met her husband, a dairy farmer from Jefferson. His occupation simplified her decision to move to the North…
The first month of 2012 brought some mixed signs to New Hampshire's housing market, with January residential home sales beating out the prior January for the third year in a row, with the median price trending downward year over year.A…
An attorney for TD Bank objected Thursday to hiring a real estate agent to sell the land and building of the bankrupt Kingsbury Corp. in Keene, saying it was a "pie in the sky" approach that wouldn't fetch enough money…
Barely a year after the state of New Hampshire lured Albany International Corp. -- a major manufacturing employer in the Albany, N.Y., area -- to move its headquarters and most of its jobs to Rochester, N.H., Granite State economic development…
Sturm, Ruger & Co. blew through the recession like a speeding bullet. The Connecticut-based company with a major manufacturing presence in New Hampshire, reported that it sold $328.8 million in guns and castings in 2011 -- more than twice the…
Will employers be able to force their workers to accept their wages in the form of an electronic payment, or at the very least, a debit card?And will employers be able to switch to paying employees without getting permission from…
Centrix Bank finished the year with a quarterly net income of $1.5 million, or 49 cents a diluted share -- 60 percent more than the same quarter the previous year -- the company announced last week.That brings the Bedford-based bank's…
Registration is now open for the 2012 edition of the Stonyfield Entrepreneurial Institute, a two-day "boot camp" for entrepreneurs that will feature sessions on finance, branding and social media marketing.Presented by the Carsey Institute and the Whittemore School of Business…
A small software company in Nashua is suing the largest optical lens manufacturer in the country, saying that the international giant ripped it off to the tune of $13.1 million.In a complaint filed Feb. 17 in U.S. District Court in…
VF Corp.'s acquisition of Timberland last September paid off big in the fourth quarter, according to the North Carolina-based apparel company's earnings report.The Stratham-based footwear and apparel subsidiary provided some $549 million to VF's $2.9 billion revenue for the quarter,…
It looks as if the New Hampshire Legislature won't repeal the law requiring that businesses file safety plans, although they might loosen the measure up a bit.The House Labor Committee recommended killing a repeal bill (House Bill 1661), but committee…
In a surprise move, the New Hampshire House overruled a committee report and voted to allow towns to continue taxing telephone poles, rejecting the argument that the tax amounts to double taxation and that it's inequitable to boot."It's like the…
With growing numbers of New Hampshire homes, businesses, schools and municipalities using wood pellets for heat, the state Office of Energy and Planning has added the price of pellets to the list of heating fuels whose price it tracks.The price…
The first month of 2012 brought a mix of good and bad news for New Hampshire's housing market.That's according to RE/MAX of New England, which releases a regional housing report each month.According to the report, in January 2012, more housing…
Standex International Corp. has decided to sell its Air Distribution Products Group, the Salem-based conglomerate announced Monday.The stand-alone division, which sells metal ducts for air conditioning in new and remodeled homes, has been profitable for Standex for nearly 35 years,…
New Hampshire Business Review took first place for general excellence at the annual New England Newspaper and Press Association convention held over the weekend in Boston.The newspaper was honored in the Bi-weekly/Monthly category. It was the second time NHBR has…
Guardian Angel Credit Union, the Berlin-based lead plaintiff in a three-year-old class action suit against a larger Iowa bank, has reached a confidential settlement, according to recent filing in federal district court in Concord.The settlement came after U.S. District Court…
Over the past few years, New Hampshire and 10 other states have been looking to develop a low-carbon standard for transportation fuels. The program would be market based - similar to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and the same states…
Editor's note: The following are excerpts of an interview with the state's new transportation commissioner, Christopher D. Clement, Durham resident Chris Clement, an engineer by training, oversees a $600 million transportation agency of over 1,600 employees.He served as deputy commissioner…
Predictions, always difficult, are probably harder than ever these days. Nevertheless, there are a few trends in the building industry that seem to be persisting through the various economic twists and turns of the recent past.One of these trends is…
Three New Hampshire companies have been chosen to participate in the latest round of funding through the Green Launching Pad.This year, judges for the program -- a partnership of the University of New Hampshire and the state -- chose firms…
The New Hampshire House will take up legislation soon that would prohibit a state health insurance exchange and force Washington to repeal, replace or amend Obamacare.A health insurance exchange is a bureaucratic set of state-regulated and standardized health care plans…
Over the past several years, our region and our nation have faced great economic challenges. We are fortunate in New England to have weathered this period with less collateral damage than other parts of the country.Our overall regional unemployment rate…
For more than 10 years, New Hampshire has been paying for an "adequate" education for primary and secondary public school students across the state. State spending on public education is in addition to what local communities raise and spend.State spending…
What do the Federal Reserve and a Ouija board have in common? Both are equally adept at predicting the economic state three months from now. So when the Fed recently announced its intent to keep interest rates near zero for…
Three and a half years have passed since the onset of the financial and economic crisis of 2008, yet despite what politicians campaigning across New Hampshire have been saying about the U.S. economy, the New Hampshire economy appears to be…
The latest attempt to control New Hampshire's high energy costs appears in House Bill 1238, which requires Public Service of New Hampshire to divest itself of it its power plants.With the fourth-highest energy costs in the nation, New Hampshire businesses…
And then there's the venerable Postal Service. Started by Benjamin Franklin, one of our founding fathers, it still uses some of his techniques for sorting mail."Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the…
Every emerging information technology has a coming of age when it is presented in the phrase, "The Year of ...". Having lived through a number of these, I'm a bit skeptical whenever this phrase is applied to a technology change…
North Country businessman Dave Presby, right, shakes hands with Jim McMahon, following Presby's purchase of the assets of Isaacson Steel Inc. on Jan. 31. McMahon is general manager of the new business, Presby Steel LLC, which will continue to operate…
Al Felgar, right, president of Frisbie Memorial Hospital, stands with Dr. Matthew Kamil, left, endocrinologist at the hospital's Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate, and his wife, Robin, who donated to the hospital's legacy society to commemorate a birthing room in honor…
Ken Robinson, left, general counsel of Northeast Delta Dental, presents a $33,000 check to fellow Concord Rotarians Don Bennert, center, president of the Concord Rotary Club of Concord, and Randy Guay. The funds represent the net proceeds of the 2011…
Steve Webb, market president for TD Bank, stands with Maureen Beauregard, president of Families in Transition, after presenting a $20,000 check to the nonprofit on behalf of the TD Charitable Foundation. The grant will provide services to those living in…
Representatives from RiverMead and JSA Architects break ground on the construction of the Village at RiverMead. Designed by JSA, the $30 million expansion of RiverMead -- a continuing care retirement community in Peterborough -- will include independent living housing and…
Celebrants gather at the New Hampshire chapter of the American Institute of Architects' 28th annual awards banquet, which was held Jan. 20 at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester. (Photo by John Hession)
Residential market sees fourth month of price decline, but no long-term relief in sight
United Therapeutics found the Millyard the perfect setting to help meet its core mission: that no one should ever die waiting for an organ. EwingCole principal Michael Ramus shared the company’s decision to open a corporate research and development facility…
Conference explores challenges of living in NH
The regional player in the aluminum beverage can industry has big plans for expansion to other parts of the United States
New Hampshire’s high cost of living puts a disproportionate burden on women, particularly mothers, according to a new report published by the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation. The Status of Women in New Hampshire 2025 stresses gender inequities across the state
Popular destinations such as Gunstock Mountain Resort are trying out new snow groomers from Prinoth in Concord to prep the trails for the 2025-26 winter season
Why New Hampshire’s communities need strong local reporting—and how you can help
Officials say it's a win for the state, and for Hampton, as the state makes a push for proposals from developers/operators
A new report from America’s Health Rankings found that 10.2% of adults in New Hampshire have previously been diagnosed with cancer, and the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows 9,016 cancer cases were reported in NH in 2022.
